A-State golfer Huseman qualifies for U.S. Amateur
From A-State Sports
Jerry Sharp, Assistant Athletic Director for Media Relations
JONESBORO – A 2016 All-Sun Belt Conference selection and junior on the Arkansas State men’s golf team, Andrew Huseman has qualified to compete at the U.S. Amateur Aug. 15-21 in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., after recently finishing second at the Iowa sectional held July 11 at Otter Creek Golf Course in Ankeny.
Huseman ended the tournament, which consisted of two rounds played the same day, with a combined 142. He opened play with a 70 before coming back to register a 72 for the second 18 holes, actually finishing his final round with a 35-foot putt for birdie that clinched his qualifying position.
“I knew going in that it was going to be a long day with 36 holes walking, but I’ve always been a fan of 36-hole days because you have to be mentally tough and it also gives you an opportunity to recover if you don’t get off to a great start,” said Huseman. “Conditions weren’t great with heavy wind, and I knew that some people might get tired with the heat, so I just kept playing my game.”
Huseman will be one of 312 players competing Aug. 15-16 in 36 holes of stroke play at Oakland Hills Country Club, and the low 64 will advance to match play Aug. 17-20. The top 64 players go head-to-head in single elimination match play until only two remain. The two finalists meet in a 36-hole showdown Aug. 21 to determine the 116th United States Amateur champion.
Huseman said he will play in two tournaments, including the Waterloo Open and Iowa Amateur, before the U.S. Amateur and may decide to add a third to his schedule if he feels like it will be beneficial. He added that he will also incorporate some of his same A-State practice routines into his preparation.
“As far as practicing, I’ll just try to do some similar things as what we do at school,” Huseman said. “We always have structured and planned practices working on a variety of skills, including working on our short game and putting a lot, so I just need to keep every aspect of my game sharp and hopefully I’ll be ready to go come Aug. 15.”
A sophomore last season, Huseman helped lead A-State to a No. 79 national ranking, the program’s best since the 2001-02 squad ended the season at No. 75. He was part of a team that broke the school record for outright tournament championships with five and tied for another before falling in a sudden death playoff.
Huseman made an immediate impact for the Red Wolves last season after transferring from Indian Hills (Iowa) Community College. He recorded six top-five finishes in nine tournaments played. He also won the Grover Page Classic and completed the season with a team-best 72.23 stroke average, which also ranked fifth in the Sun Belt.